Day of anger in Seoul after President Yoon's coup

Photo: Anthony Wallace Agence France-Presse In front of the parliament building, angry crowds stood united Wednesday against President Yoon Suk-yeol, demanding his resignation.

Isabel Malsang – Agence France-Presse and Kyu-seok Shim – Agence France-Presse in Seoul

Published at 11:37

• Asia

South Koreans took to the streets Wednesday, angry at one man: President Yoon Suk-yeol, whose failed attempt to impose martial law on the country has shocked citizens of the young democracy.

Throughout the day, the streets of the capital Seoul were filled with small groups of protesters and police, as unions called for a general strike and the opposition demanded the president resign, accusing him of rebellion.

Outside the parliament building, where a group of 190 lawmakers voted unanimously Tuesday night to lift martial law, which the president had announced two and a half hours earlier in a late-night televised address, the angry crowd remained united against the former prosecutor general. conservative.

“It was a self-attack, meant to protect himself and his wife,” one man shouts — a reference to a myriad of scandals that have surrounded the first lady since her husband took office in 2022.

As night falls on the large central square, in front of museums and ministries, Choi Moon-jung, 55, hands out hot drinks to protesters. “I had to be here tonight, the president is crazy,” she said with a broad smile.

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Showing little sign of fatigue despite a nearly sleepless night for some, during which the president tried to undo nearly 40 years of South Korea’s democratic progress, the crowd waved multi-colored flags and sang the country’s national anthem.

Yoon ‘tried a coup’

Opposition leader Cho Kuk accused Yoon of “tried a coup through treason, military rebellion, and violation of the law and the Constitution.”

Former presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung — who posted images on social media of himself scaling the barriers of parliament to gain entry — hailed citizens who “risk their lives, and are willing to take the bullets” of the law martial.

He said the president had lost all ability to “reason normally.”

“An abnormal president, with an abnormal first lady, tried to hold on to abnormal power,” Rep. Kim Min-seok, a respected member of the main opposition Democratic Party, also summed up.

Opposition lawmakers have filed an impeachment motion against Yoon, which needs the support of two-thirds of parliament to pass, as well as that of six constitutional justices.

It could be put to a vote as early as Friday, according to Yonhap News Agency.

“As a lesson of history »

The protests include elderly people, some sitting with candles, but also many young people who remember the 2016 protests that led to the fall of former President Park Geun-hye.

Photo: Ng Han Guan Associated Press At a vigil Wednesday, Koreans continued to call for President Yoon to resign.

Some say they are shocked to see their country so close to turning its back on nearly 40 years of democracy.

“We have to defend it,” says Shin So-yeon, a young woman in her early 20s. “There is no other option.”

“It was like a history lesson,” says Park Su-hyung, 39.

“Our democracy will be trampled if we let Mr. Yoon stay in power for one more moment,” he adds.

In the city's central square, protesters hand out candles and hot drinks as they prepare for a night of demonstrations. They say they are prepared to stay mobilized until the president leaves.

“I live too far away, the subway was closed last night, and I couldn't come to the center, but tonight I absolutely had to be here. I'm afraid this will take too long, he won't want to leave,” adds Nam Gi-kim, 28, a history student.